. /.  RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/IT/M/51 
7 October 2010 
 (10-5121) 
Committee of Participants on the Expansion of Trade in 
Information Technology Products  
 
 
 
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF 8 JULY 2010 
 
Chairman:  Mr. Tomohiro Kaneko (Japan)  
  
 Agenda of the Meeting
 Page  
 
1. Election of Chairperson........................................................................................................ ....1 
2. Review of the Status of Implementation of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade 
in Information Technology Produc ts (G/IT/1/Rev.42 and Corr.1).......................................1  
3. New Participants ............................................................................................................... ........2  
 
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Introduction 
  The Committee adopted
 the proposed agenda and its addendum for the meeting which was 
circulated in WTO/AIR/3580 on 24 June 2010.   1. Election of Chairperson 
1.1 The Committee elected Mr. Tomohiro Kaneko (Japan) as its Chairman.  
 
1.2 The representatives of Korea, Canada, Japan , the Philippines (on behalf of the ASEAN), 
Chinese Taipei and India  congratulated the Chairman on his election and hoped the Committee could 
soon restart its work. 
 
1.3 The Chairman  thanked the Participants for his election and stated that he will do his best to 
make the work of the Committee more effective.  While recognizing the significant impact of the ITA 
sector on global economy, and developing countries ha d also benefited from the expansion of IT 
trade, he felt that the work of the Committee is very crucial to the Organization and should be 
revitalized.  He looked forward to contributions and co-operation from Partic ipants and would listen 
carefully to their views on future steps, and theref ore intended to hold inform al consultations soon.  
 1.4  The Committee expressed
 its appreciation to Mr. Khalid Emara, the outgoing Chairman of the 
Committee since November 2007. 
 2. Review of the Status of Implementation of the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in 
Information Technology Products (G/IT/1/Rev.42 and Corr.1) 
2.1 The Chairman
 stated that an overview of implementa tion of the Ministerial Declaration on 
Trade in Information Technology Products was contained in documents G/IT/1/Rev.42 and 
Corr.1.  The documents updated the Participants  on issues pertaining to the WTO procedures for G/IT/M/51 
Page 2 
 
 
  implementation.  He pointed out that as indicated  in the documents, new developments had taken 
place since the Committee's last meet ing held on 30 October 2008, mainly the submission of formal 
documentation by Panama and the new participation of Peru.  He said that he would keep the 
Participants informed of any new developments in this regard, and looked forward to Participants' 
updates or comments concerning th ese implementation matters.   
 
2.2 The representative of Panama  reported that, in relation to the submission of formal 
documentation by Panama in December 2008, the Mi nistry of Economy and Finance was examining 
the impact of the proposal in light of the recent ec onomic crisis and the new fiscal reality and advised 
that this analysis would be forwarded upon comple tion to the Ministry of Trade and Industry for the 
next steps to be taken.  Panama stated that it would inform the Committ ee as soon as these steps had 
been determined.  
 
2.3 The Chairman  thanked the delegate of Panama and said he awaited to receive the updated 
information.  He urged those Participants that  had not followed the procedures for the formal 
rectification and modification of schedules as required by the Decision of 26 March 1980 on 
Procedures for Modification and Rectification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions, to make their 
submission as soon as possible.   
 
2.4 The Committee took note  of the statements made. 
  3. New Participants  
3.1 The Chairman
 informed the Committee that on 7 July 2010, a communication was received 
from the delegation of Kuwait, indicating the Govern ment of the State of Kuwait's intention to 
become a Participant to the Ministerial Declaration on Trade in Information Technology Products, 
and requesting the Secretariat to verify its draft ITA schedule.  The Secretariat, at the request of the 
delegation of Kuwait, carried out the electronic verification of Kuwait's draft ITA schedule which 
showed no discrepancies.  He suggested that the ve rified Kuwait's ITA schedule be circulated to 
Participants immediately after the meeting and would be deemed approved unless any Participant 
notified the Secretariat of its objection in writing by 22 July 2010 which would be two weeks from the 
date of circulation of the schedule.  The Secretaria t, later on, would also issue a fax to confirm the 
participation of Kuwait in the ITA.  He asked whet her this would be agreeable to the Participants.  
 
3.2 It was so agreed .  
 
3.3 The representative of Canada  sought some clarifications concerning the procedures for the 
review and approval process of new participants  under the ITA, and the Decision of 26 March 1980 
on Procedures for Modification and Rectification of Schedules of Tariff Concessions (BISD 27S/25).  
 
3.4 The Secretariat  explained that the former refers to the review of the schedule of ITA 
commitments of a new participant conducted by th e ITA Committee with a view to assessing whether 
it is in compliance with the concessions made by IT A Participants when the Ministerial Declaration 
was adopted.  However, the latter is according to the procedures of the formal rectification and 
modification of schedules of commitm ents as specified in paragraph 2 of the Annex to the Ministerial 
Declaration on Trade in Information Technology  Products (WT/MIN(96)/16) , after the review and 
approval process of the ITA Committee, the new participant's ITA schedule of commitments shall be 
submitted as a modification to the Schedule of Tariff  Concessions of the participant concerned, pursuant 
to the Decision of 26 March 1980 on Procedures fo r Modification and Rectific ation of Schedules of 
Tariff Concessions (BISD 27S/25).  
3.5 The Committee took note
 of the statements made.  
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